Teach me about Shipping Parts!!!

UPS has been pretty reliable for me. Their online quote system works pretty well. Box up your parts and weigh the package so you know what to put in the fields when you fill out the quote form. That way all you need is a zip code and you can get right back to someone with shipping costs. I try to do it quickly.

The post office can be a pain in the ***, especially when you have to wait. Getting a money order from the PO or supermarket usually costs around a dollar so that is a good thing.

Paypal works well for taking payments but you take a hit when you do a credit card transaction, it's 3% in most cases, I think more for transactions over a certain amount. I always ask people if they can do an e-check or bank transfer. If you're willing to sell something at a lower price than you originally asked and the buyer wants to use Paypal, you stand to loose more money when they hit you with fees. E-checks and bank transfers don't cost anything but your account and whomever is buyuing from you needs to have their account hooked to a bank account, not a credit card. Takes 3-4 business days to clear, just like a regular check. I use this method often.

Money orders work best. You need to be up front and say the part will ship when the check arrives. Cash it immediately. You just need to trust people to do the right thing, moist of the time it works out OK. Hard to forge a money order, they usually clear within 24 hours.

I always give updates too, like "I got your check, part will ship tomorrow" or "here's the tracking number, should arrive on Tues.". Gives a level of confidence to know that the transaction is legit.

I've had good luck selling parts on here, guys are very good about the transactions. I've not had any significant issues except for one guy bad-mouthing a part. Sold it anyway, so it didn't matter in the end.

Really comes down to effort - if you're a pro about things, it will rub off on others. Cover your *** and you will minimize crap. Same as in every other aspect of life. I always try to make it as smooth as possible for someone, I treat them as I would want to be treated.